Coos County Master Gardener's™ Program

Master Gardeners are interested in learning more about the art and science of growing and caring for plants for the garden, the landscape and the home. In exchange for classroom instruction, Master Gardeners extend garden information to their communities. The Master Gardener commitment is to act as a volunteer staff person for the OSU Extension Service.

What a Master Gardener does will vary according to the needs of the Extension Service and the desires, skills and availability of the Master Gardener. Some answer telephone requests for gardening information. Others staff plant clinics, plant sales or a booth at the county fair. Master Gardeners might also speak to local groups, serve on advisory committees, or assist with statewide activities such as the Master Gardener mini-college that is held annually at OSU.

Master Gardener Training Classes are taught by OSU Extension agents and horticultural specialists. The program offers a basic, practical course in plant science and horticulture. Classes usually include: basic botany and plant physiology; pest identification and control methods; soil management and plant nutrition; and diagnosis and control of plant problems. Other general interest classes on such topics as lawns, greenhouses, water quality, houseplants, vegetables, trees, and shrubs may be included depending on class interest. The actual course content and sequence will vary from year to year and will depend on local needs and interests. Classes are held during the winter months usually January through March.

Is the Master Gardener Program right for you? To help you decide whether you should apply for Master Gardener Training, see if you agree with these six statements:

Gardening and gardens have have always been of interest to me.

Anything I learn about gardening, I would be willing to share with others.

Really would like to learn a lot more about gardens, plants, and insects.

Do mystery things grow in my yard that I wish I could identify?

Entomology: bugs can be fun.

Nothing I plant seems to grow.

If you find yourself agreeing with these statements, the Master Gardener Program may be right for you. It could be one of the most interesting activites you have ever been involved in. If you would like to become a Master Gardener, call or write the Coos County Extension Office, at (541) 572-5263 ext 25295 or 631 Alder St, Myrtle Point OR 97458. You may also e-mail the Extension office at Coos Extension.